Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon or any of its characters.
Warning: BL; Shounen Ai and eventual Yaoi
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Bon voyage
0.1 The life that never was
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There was something wrong with the world.
Green had always known.
Perhaps this thought had floated into his mind and settled when he had first begun to notice his surroundings, but a part of his conscience begged to differ; it told him that the notion had been planted long ago, possibly since birth, but he couldn't remember. It was just a feeling he couldn't quite shake off, as though he was part of a movie, a dream and sometimes a nightmare.
The feeling of fingers caressing the bottom of his spine straight up to his neck appeared at the most random of times, unpredictable and startlingly frightening. Green often claimed that he could hear whispers blown into the shells of his ears but could never decipher a single word.
Nobody else seemed to have these problems, so Green had learned to keep silent. His family had ushered him worriedly to the therapist's office when he had been four years old, crying and screaming about things no one could hear or begin to fathom; he had come to understand that he wasn't quite normal. Everyone seemed to believe he had hallucinating and anxiety problems, but the sounds and touches were definitely real and the feeling of something being terribly off about each passing second undoubtedly churned inside him.
There was something wrong with the world and he was the only one who thought so.
Today was to be no different.
The alarm clock rang for seven in the morning but Green had been up since six. It was a ritual he had been keeping since elementary school, strange but essential because he was a man of routine.
He calmly sipped at his coffee and stood, slinging his knapsack over his shoulder while walking towards the door. Bringing down his fist, he silenced the damned contraption kept by the entrance and tucked on his shoes, setting aside the empty mug on the rack beside him.
Green hated Mondays with a passion; it signaled the start of another lengthy day, another agonizing week, and it was always on Mondays that the feeling of something being wrong grew worse. It was an ominous day and he would have taken it off the calendar if given the chance.
Throwing one last look at his apartment, he stepped out into a quiet hallway, locking the door behind him with a silent click. Checking his watch, he calculated a fifteen minute walk to the business and a five minute elevator ride up to the sixty-first floor where his office was.
He had half an hour to get there.
Green turned and started on his way, imitating the walk of his late grandmother; slow but steady would get him to work eventually.
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Something wasn't right.
Today, the space above his head was devoid of clouds and the sun.
Green squinted his eyes up at the stretch of chilling solid gray spread overhead and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. The skyscrapers rose like towering metal vines into the air, their tops barely visible. They were usually hidden by gentle white mists and he couldn't help but feel that the heavens looked so utterly naked today; what in the world was going on? No one else bothered to even glance up around Green. Instead, they shot glares in his direction; only a fool would disrupt the flow of people on their way to work and the stream maneuvered around him.
He paid them no heed because the sky was gone.
He wanted to point at the loss of clear blue, to question why no one was paying attention, however, he already knew everyone would take him for an idiot and like always, he stayed quiet and observed; it was as if death had closed its grip all about. It's just the weather, Green reassured himself, looks like another rainstorm. Denial however, could not wipe away the uncontained fear rippling down his arms.
Something was wrong but he couldn't place what.
It's normal, he repeated in his head like a mantra as he forcefully ripped emerald eyes away from the horrible sight. Green continued on his way to work, melding back into the chatter of the rushing folk.
Smells and noises drifted around him as the minutes ticked by. Signs of traffic congestion were beginning to show and the angry cross guard was yelling at a teenager on his bike; the words 'idiot' and 'stupidity' could be caught even above the hum of the cars.
Sweat began to form on Green's brow as he neared his destination. When had it gotten so unbearably warm? His tie itched and he reached up to loosen it, stopping as the woman beside him let out a small sneeze and wrapped her heavy jacket around her tighter. Was she ill? It was obviously sweltering but what he saw when he turned his head caused a small gasp to escape his lips; everyone looked frightfully white with cold.
He suddenly remembered that it was late fall and the temperature had been below fifteen degrees Celsius for weeks.
But there were unmistakable heat waves rising from the ground and seeping through his dress shoes. Why hadn't he noticed before? The sidewalk was acting like an enormous grill and the warmth that slipped up to meet his soles was uncomfortable.
Too strange, he thought, panic filling his mind as he quickened his pace with renewed anxiety.
He felt so alone.
Maybe it was time he started to take medication again; it had been subscribed for him to aid with his supposed emotional overwhelming, because if things continued the way they did, he was sure he would go mental, that is, if he wasn't already.
The large tower clock situated in the center of town chimed for fifteen after seven. Green released a hiss of relief through his teeth when he spotted the gleaming white building he had been working steadily at since his job transfer. It stood out against the black and grey of the metropolis and its outer appearance spoke of its line of high tech products. He swerved and neatly dislodged himself from the hustle bustle of the morning crowd, stepping gracefully through large automatic glass doors.
Without pausing to acknowledge the receptionist that sent him a flirtatious smile, Green walked past her briskly leaving only a wind of his light cologne sweeping her way. That woman needed to stop trying to get in his pants because he'd sooner lose his balls than sleep with her.
Hurrying across the large expanse of expensive marble flooring, he came to a stop as he jammed his index finger into an arrow button pointing up and watched impatiently as it turned orange. A minute, two minutes, five minutes, ten. The elevator was slow today and his eyebrows furrowed in rage.
He was going to be late.
His nerves were on fire, and he needed to reach the safety of his desk. Green sought to find a sense of familiarity and normalcy. No deep pondering was needed to settle his thoughts; his instincts screamed the conclusion: this Monday was the Monday he had been waiting for.
This Monday was special.
And everything would go wrong today.
He had to protect himself.
The sharp 'ding' of the elevator snapped him from his thoughts and his eyes grew hard as the doors slid open. His boss, Giovanni, sent him a sinister smile and beckoned with a hand.
"Mr. Oak," He said smoothly, words trickling like acid, "just the man I was looking for. Always with the impeccable timing I see. I was just about to go and fetch you from your home. The matter is rather urgent."
The silver rings adorning his thumb shone as he twiddled it, waiting for Green to join him. A black pinstriped suit sat stiffly upon his thin form and his hair was slicked to one side; Green found himself remembering all the comb over jokes he had ever been told.
"Is that so, Sir?" He replied carefully still standing his ground outside; there was something about this man that had him on his toes. Giovanni had an aura he labelled as dangerous and whenever he was near, the feeling of something wrong heightened.
Now, his senses were literally incinerating and all the alarms rung in his mind.
Don't go with him.
Don't go―
Green ignored the voice next to his ear and stepped into the elevator.
"I presume you would like to speak to me in your office?" He questioned, eyes darting to meet the dark stare resting intently on his neck.
Giovanni lifted his head to meet his gaze squarely. "Not today, Mr. Oak. Forgive my rudeness but I would like to talk with you privately today at your desk."
Green narrowed his eyes. "Of course, Sir." He reached out to press the number sixty-one; it lighted under his index finger. "I'm sure it is an issue of the utmost importance."
Giovanni only continued to smile at that.
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Fishing out the key from his pocket, Green carefully inserted it into his office door and held it open. Normally, he would have entered while humming a tune or with a rare smile on his face but with the current situation, he kept to himself.
He imagined that things could only get worse from here on.
He didn't bother flicking on the lights as the large windows that made up the wall behind his mountains of paper work provided enough illumination to bathe the whole office in the filtered gray tone, much like the one the sky was casting today.
"Would you like anything to drink, Sir?" Green gestured towards the elaborate coffee machine he had purchased off the internet. He hated sharing it with anyone but this was a different matter.
Might as well suck up before anything got ugly.
Thankfully, his superior shook his head. "That would not be necessary. How about we get down to business?" Giovanni took a seat and Green followed suit, easing himself into his own office chair with a concealed look of happiness; finally, something to calm his frazzled state.
"That would be preferred, Sir."
There was a moment of silence that passed as both men sat. Giovanni's eyes roamed about the other's body, pausing at his neck once more and Green shifted uncomfortably. He had heard rumours about Giovanni's supposed occupation in the mafia and a faint twinge of concern appeared as he took in the man's face, drawn into a calculating ― if not a little smug ― expression. Usually overrun by malice and deprecation, Giovanni's gaze now was of one of obvious interest and that piece of information alone made Green's skin crawl. Everything zeroed in onto the spreading grin parting his superior's lips.
The feeling was back; something had just gotten worse.
"What do you suppose I am here to discuss with you today, Mr. Oak?"
Green raised an eyebrow and contemplated. "Does it have anything to do with the merging concerning Galactic Corp.? I assure you I have it all researched and organized. My team will certainly return with a favorable outcome."
He reached for the beige folder lying in front of him, ready to flip through its contents but was stopped by a raised hand.
Giovanni tilted his head. "No, I am sure you are more than capable on that matter; I am not concerned at all. "He paused, fingers drumming against his own thigh. "Mr. Oak, how do you like your job?"
"I enjoy it, Sir. It is a job well suited to me."
"Is that so? And your condition has not been acting up recently?"
Green grimaced. Months ago, he had suffered an anxiety attack in the middle of an important meeting; that particular day, he had been in the midst of explaining the advantages of a newly developed piece of software when the feeling of hands encircling his ankles had caused him to jump, but when he had looked down, there had been nothing there. The sensation had sent his stomach flipping and bursts of colour had bloomed across his vision; there had been a feeling of being pulled apart and he had sent the whole meeting crashing to the ground, a flush of chaos.
"No, Sir. I have been fine. That one time was a rare occurrence and I promise you it will never be re-enacted again."
Giovanni's eyes swept across his face, his face twisted into an expression something Green had never seen before.
"How curious, Mr. Oak."
How curious? Confusion littered across Green's features. Was this a trick question? "I don't understand what you mean, Sir." He responded slowly.
"Are you sure you are feeling alright today? You look quite shaken."
Green inwardly cursed. "The weather has just been rather gloomy lately, Sir. I am not found of the rain and clouds and as I have mentioned before, I am feeling well."
"What are you talking about, Mr. Oak? The sun is shining today."
Green's posture grew rigid as his boss continued, "Might I mention, it is quite cold. You seem to have excellent blood circulation being able to withstand the winds in just a thin dress shirt."
What?
"Mr. Oak?"
"Y-Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir, I was just lost in my thoughts."
"Of course. Now, Mr. Oak, where do you think the sky has gone?"
Pardon?
Green grasped at his throat as a sliver of red entered Giovanni's intense stare. "Why are you not answering my question?" He languidly stroked his chin, amusement evident in his eyes, "Why is the ground so warm today, Mr. Oak? Can't you feel it? Aren't you the only one who feels it? Are you sure you are normal?"
Everything suddenly exploded.
Escape, hurry! The voices began to shriek.
Green's hands started to sweat profusely and his legs refused to budge, was he hearing this correctly?
No no no, this was just a dream; no way would his boss say something like this.
The thudding of his own heart filled his ear drums as he snapped out of his daze. He hurriedly pinched himself with shaky fingers, hard enough to break through the skin but his surroundings did not dissolve.
"You've always been a little different, Green," the man's voice was but a whisper and yet it sent jolts down Green's back as his eyes widened uncharacteristically, "very bright but somewhat blinded. When I first saw you, I knew that you were aware of the things happening around you." The grin had grown maniacal and the black eyes that stared at him were laced with hysteria.
"Do you remember, Green? Do you remember why there is something wrong with this world? Do you know why I chose to talk to you today? Do you know what's wrong today?"
Green felt like the air had been sucked from the room and he was suddenly gasping for oxygen. The tremors that racked his body only grew stronger and he realized that he had bitten his lip so hard that it was bleeding but still, he could not stop chewing.
He knew; Giovanni knew. Someone understood.
Green was enveloped in fear.
"Today is when the pull is the strongest; I've come to toy with the wheel of fate." Giovanni stood, a smile splitting his face in two. He reached for Green and stopped inches from his face where tears had gathered in the young man's eyes, round and disbelieving. He snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, floods of scenes Green could not remember rose in his head. They washed in front of him and everything was switched into overdrive. His skull ached; it just kept thrumming and pounding. It hurt so much; he was so scared.
His body jerked and bent as an onslaught of emotions raced through his mind. There were voices, so many of them, along with familiar words, people.
Pallet. Daisy. Shooting. Pain. Blood. Eevee. Grandfather. Champion.
Red.
He gasped.
Who was that?
"You can answer that yourself."
Red.
Love.
Fated.
Inseparable.
Red.
"Can you remember? Tell me, what's wrong with this world?"
It had no Red.
Flashes of light erupted and Green could barely make out Giovanni leaning over to whisper in his ear, "You don't belong here. You are merely a floating spirit whose will has given you a visible form. Everyone else is living a normal life; they can see the sky and they can't feel the beckoning of parallel worlds. You are living a lie that a part of you cannot let go; you are not supposed to be here. Let me end it all."
This wasn't right. What was happening? Everything was a blur. Green's mouth opened to release a bloodcurdling scream.
"Fuck! Stop, what are you? What do you want with me?"
He was going to die. He was going to die a death no one would care about or hear about; a death everyone would soon forget about. It couldn't end like this.
Hurry; run from him.He wants to harm you, run!The voices kept whispering as he staggered and bolted from his chair, racing wildly towards the door.
He had to survive.
He was normal.
He was the only one who was sane.
He was―
Stop, Green.
Green tripped and landed on the floor, the impact jarring the utensils from his desk and sounds of clattering filled his ears.
He will help you.
He will guide you to me.
Please hurry, I am waiting.
This voice was different; it was soothing and calm. Somewhat soft, it spoke of unconditional love.
Green felt himself relaxing even as footfalls neared his form. He stopped clawing at the carpet, his bloodied nails stilling their movements and closed his eyes. Keep talking to me, he thought.
All this ache, it would soon be gone.
"It's about time I sent you on your way."
A gunshot rang through the air and Green heard no more.
All he could feel was the warm embrace that welcomed him into the darkness and a new world.
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TBC
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A/N:
I've always wanted to write a multichapter fic for Red and Green but sadly, have never had the motivation to do so and could not settle on a single idea.
For those of you who have no caught on yet, the main theme of this story will be parallel worlds.I am not yet sure which worlds I want to focus on so if you have any suggestion or ideas you would like to see, I would be happy to consider them though please bear in mind that I may not use them.
I'm well aware this idea is not original however, I am trying to make it as familiar with me as possible x) So far, I don't think I've come across anything like what I have shared here. It's a tad bit confusing but not to worry, it will be cleared up in later chapters.
As for the length of chapters, I am also not quite sure about that but I can assure you it will probably be longer than this one; this was a brief introduction.
Three cheers to my beta RukagixShinme (.net/u/2304578/RukagiXShinme) ; she has graciously taken the time to look over my stuff so please be sure to visit her!
Reviews and comments would be much appreciated (fff, I love them and they're my motivation ;A;)
I will reply to all reviews ;A; so please enable Private Messaging or sign in! If you are going to be anonymous, I will be sure to answer you in the next chapter!
Until next time,
NyahxNeko